103.9 FM WDKX
Rochester, NY
Your #1 Radio for R&B
On air:
Listen Online
103.9 WDKX Live Stream
REQUEST A SONG!
Request A Song
Bernie Mac may be gone, but he leaves among his legacy the upcoming movie 'Soul Men,' in which he stars opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Isaac Hayes, who also passed away unexpectedly this weekend.
"Both those guys were tremendous talents and just genuine gentlemen," 'Soul Men' director Malcolm D. Lee tells ET. "It's a tremendous loss, both in the comedic world and the music world -- they were both giants."
In 'Soul Men,' in theaters this November, Sam and Bernie play a pair of backup soul singers who haven't spoken to each other in 20 years. But when they're invited to perform at a tribute concert for their famous former band leader, the two curmudgeons reluctantly agree to travel cross country together for the honor.
"The last thing he said to me was, 'Make a good film, Malcolm,' and you know, I'll try my best to do that," says Lee, whose directing credits include 'Undercover Brother' and 'Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.' "But he gave us a tremendous performance; he left us with a real tremendous gift."
Lee recalls that Bernie's health issues never got in the way of his work ethic: "Every time we called for him to shoot he was ready to go. We never waited for him, so he wasn't limited by that, but even if he was, I don't think he would ever let that slow him down; Bernie just wasn't like that."
And while shooting long hours at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Bernie never forgot the audience that made him a star: "He always kept the extras entertained; he'd do an impromptu stand-up [routine]. He'd say, 'These people made me, and that's why I do what I do.'"
Samuel Jackson also remembered Bernie.
"It goes without saying that Bernie was one of the preeminent comedians of our generation. He was also an attentive husband, a great father & loving grandfather. I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac and I'm honored to have finally co-starred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement. My sincere prayer is that his family will be comforted by the warmth of love from all of us who knew and respected this man."
A public memorial will be held for Bernie Mac Saturday in Chicago.
The memorial will be held at noon August 16 at the city's House of Hope church, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people.
The family requests that donations be made to the Bernie Mac Foundation for Sarcoidosis, located at 40 E. Ninth St., Suite 601, Chicago IL 60605.
